Shi Zun, as the son of Shi Hu, naturally lives in the forbidden garden of Xindu. However, the forbidden garden of Xindu is naturally far inferior to the Jiande Palace of Xiangguo, in fact, except for the core three halls of the main handling of state affairs and daily living, the other palace furniture is very simple, and there is not much difference from the forbidden army barracks.

Of course, compared with the hundreds of thousands of people outside the city who were sitting on the ground in the open air, hungry and cold, even if Shi Zun, the prince, lost his power, his situation was not very bad, at least food, clothing and clothing could be guaranteed.

Although Zhang Jackal's rudeness made Shi Zun angry, there was nothing he could do about it. In the old years, he still had the aura of the lord's son-in-law, but now that he is affected by his brother Shi Di, it is good to be able to save his life, and in the environment where tigers and wolves are gathered under Xindu, if he dares to show his resentment towards Zhang Jackal and is felt by the other party, the situation will inevitably be even more worrying.

Compared with the simple age, Shi Zun is even younger than the poor insect Shi Kun who died in Xiangguo. It's just that unlike Shi Kun, who has always been neglected and ignored by the lord, Shi Zun has always been intimate with the lord for a period of time, and he has seen more, and both the city government and his scheming are far from being comparable to Shi Kun.

Unable to continue the conversation with Zhang Jackal, Shi Zun returned to his residence in a daze, an independent courtyard located near the Huiwen Hall in the east hall.

This courtyard occupies an area of a lot, there are not many houses in the house, most of them are simple wood and stone structures, and the luxury of Jiande Palace in the old years is not the same, but compared with other more neglected princes and clansmen can only live together, the conditions are not bad, at least a certain amount of privacy space is guaranteed.

Of course, compared with other brothers who have opened the palace and have an independent palace in the city, Shi Zun's preferential treatment is nothing, and it is embarrassing to be embarrassed.

Shi Zun returned to the courtyard, and the people of his palace stepped forward to sweep the dust for his umbrella, and when he walked to the atrium, he smelled a smell of wine and a warm breeze emanating from the pavilion, and Shi Zun's already somewhat gloomy face suddenly became worse. He walked towards the Warm Pavilion, only to take a few steps and then stop.

The house in the warm pavilion is Shi Zun's mother Zheng, and the Zheng family is also affected by his eldest son Shi Di, not only was he deposed as the queen, but he was also expelled from the harem by the lord and assigned to live with his young son. The reason why Shi Zun can still have a place in the Forbidden Garden is also because the Lord still cares for their mother and son.

Shi Zun can still clean up her mood and adjust her mentality, but this time the accident is a big blow to the Zheng family, after coming to Xindu, she used alcohol to dispel her sorrows all day long, and even the prohibition decree issued by the Lord could not stop her, and she probably wanted to regain the attention of the Lord through such a forbidden behavior, but with little effect.

Don't say that in the past few days, the lord has been busy with military affairs all day long, preparing a counterattack against the Jin army, even if it is a peaceful season, there are many beauties in the harem, and the Zheng family is old and decrepit after all, and it is almost possible to regain the favor of the lord with this, even if you say goodbye, it should be disgusted.

Shi Zunshang was hesitant, not knowing how to persuade and comfort his mother, and someone from the palace had already reported to the warm pavilion. In the warm pavilion, the Zheng family was already drunk, and he was busy letting the palace people put away the wine vessels, and stood on the railing with the support of the people, seeing the young son coming to her, his face also showed a loving smile that belonged to his mother, and then he raised his face and reprimanded the palace people for being lazy, how could she let her son stand in the cold wind for a long time.

Under the courteous greeting of his mother, Shi Zunxing entered the warm pavilion, although he was a little unhappy in his heart, he still quietly asked the palace people to open the door to ventilate and dispel the rich wine in the pavilion, he held Zheng's wrist and bowed his head and said: "My son is incompetent, and I can't let my mother be honored and raised." The smell of alcohol hurts the body, and I hope that my mother can cherish herself......"

"Where is this my son's sin, if it were not for the rebel son......"

Speaking of this topic, Zheng couldn't help but choke again, and when he mentioned the dead eldest son Shi Di, his face turned blue with hatred. Under Shi Zun's comfort, Zheng's mood gradually calmed down, and then took the young son into his arms: "If the rebel son has half of my son's filial piety, why would my mother and son be affected by it and fall so far." ”

Shi Zun sighed in his heart after hearing this, although he was in an embarrassing situation during this time, he was also seizing every opportunity to squeeze into the decision-making level of the powerful in the country, and the more he learned about current affairs, the more he could understand the predicament faced by his brother Shi Kui. Even if there is no disaster in Xiangguo, this storage position is really difficult to last.

Zheng was also worried that her too many complaints would affect the mood of the young son, so he said again: "Yes, I told my son to go to see Wuwei Wang Luan before, and ask him to ask for advice for you in front of the Lord, has Wang Luan ever obeyed orders?" In the old years, he had broken the law and should have been beheaded, and if I had not come to the Lord in the garden to deliver him, he would have died in prison......"

"Thanks to my mother's teaching, the Lord saw me a few days ago and there was no lack of encouragement. But if you want to be completely exempt from the old responsibilities, I am afraid that it will take time. ”

Shi Zun replied vaguely, but his mood was a little worse. He didn't know what kind of favor his mother had given to Wang Luan, the general of Wuwei, but he also tried to contact him, but the envoy was refused to see Wang Luan without even seeing him. Now that his mother and son have long been troublesome people in the country that everyone avoids, there are naturally very few people who are willing to help.

"That's good, that's good. My son is a hundred times more talented than the rebel, as long as the Lord sees your talents, you will not suffer or care. ”

Zheng didn't know the inside story, and after hearing the words, he was already smiling, and then hated and said: "Those sluts and demons in the garden only say that my mother and son will never turn over, hmph, how do they know that I have been in charge of the inner court for a long time, and how can they not help my son accumulate friendship!" When my son is reused, the day when the Lord will call me back to the garden is not far away, and then I will return these cold eyes of the past! ”

After having expectations, Zheng was in a better mood, and pulled Shi Zun to introduce him to the powerful people in the country who felt they could help their son. However, she didn't know that most of the connections she thought she had accumulated had already been tried by Shi Zun, except for those who refused to see her like Wang Luan, the rest were also ambiguous, and few people were willing to express their support for Shi Zun. There are even candidates who are no longer alive, or they were captured and killed by the Jin army, or they were killed by the Lord.

After finally dealing with the Zheng family, Shi Zuncai withdrew again and asked Gong Ren: "Has Shi Min returned to the garden to ask to see?" ”

Compared with the unreliable connections that his mother gave him, Shi Zun believes more in the help of the talents he runs through the network. It's a pity that Shi Min, whom he supported, was defeated by Guangzong earlier, not only lost the strength he had accumulated before, but was almost beheaded after returning to China.

Shi Zun almost exhausted all the old feelings accumulated in the past before he could be regarded as preserving Shi Min. Of course, this is also because in Xindu, where the powerful gather, he and Shi Min are just two inconspicuous little people, and not many people will spend energy to put them to death, so there is room for maneuver.

In the evening, Shi Min entered the garden to ask for a meeting. Different from the high spirits when tens of thousands of Jin troops were suppressed in Guangping earlier, Shi Min's whole person looked very haggard, and even his face was quite hideous.

After Guangzong's defeat, Shi Min fled almost exclusively. Although strategically speaking, he blocked the Guangping Jin army for more than two months, which is of great significance to the maintenance of the entire battle situation, even if he is defeated in the end, it is not a crime of war, there is an absolute strength gap between him and the Jin army, and no one dares to say that he can win in that situation.

But defeat is defeat, and the person in charge of the Guangping war is the general Zhu Bao, Shi Min ran away from Xiangguo, which not only offended Ma Qiu, but also was resisted by Zhu Bao and sent a letter to the country to impeach him for acting on his behalf. Because after returning to China, Shi Min was imprisoned, and if it wasn't for Shi Zun's rescue, I am afraid that he would have become a corpse at this moment.

This also made Shi Min more aware of the facts, no matter what kind of excellent performance he had on the battlefield, no one in the country and no army under his command were lambs to be slaughtered, and the so-called rising star was just a miscellaneous fish that could be killed or not killed in the eyes of those big people who really held real power.

After Shi Min was saved from prison, he was temporarily registered under the guerrilla army in the Outer Sixth Army, and the so-called Outer Sixth Army was just a virtual reality, and the generals of each army only trusted their own private soldiers, and as for other generals and colonels, they were basically just free-range postures, neither allocating money, food, and equipment, nor any arrangements for battle plans.

Because in the past period of time, Shi Min was just hanging the banner of a guerrilla army, plundering life and materials in the outskirts of Xindu, in order to regain his strength. There are many generals like him, and the generals of all the armies are worried about the New Year's ceremony in the near future, and they have no intention of caring about and controlling it at all, and even among those who are also plundering the people, there are these generals.

Shi Min entered here, and at the same time sent two large boxes of gold and bronze artifacts, these goods are not supplies for raising the army, and it is difficult to sell them around the current Xindu, because they can only be sent to Shi Zun here for bribery activities.

After seeing Shi Zun, Shi Min asked anxiously, "Has Your Highness ever seen Zhang Jackal?" This dog thief has committed such a great crime, and if he wants to cover it up, he must pay enough price! ”

Shi Min's guerrilla army was stationed in the west outside the city of Xindu, and he also accidentally discovered that Zhang Jackal was so bold that he dared to intercept the military situation of Xiangguo and deceive the lord when he was plundering in the wild. Although there is no shortage of others involved in this matter, it is basically limited to a small range of the upper elites.

After getting this information, Shi Min was shocked, but also felt that this was a rare opportunity, and hurriedly reported it back to Shi Zun. hopes that Shi Zun can use this to hold the handle of Zhang Jackal's incriminating evidence and coerce the other party to provide them with some help.

"The dog thief has no fear, and I didn't have a chance to talk to him about it. Looking at his posture like this, I am afraid that it will be difficult to force him to comply after his words are broken! ”

Thinking of the scene when he met Zhang Jackal before, Shi Zun couldn't help but be indignant, and said hatefully.

Shi Min's face glowed with a fierce light after hearing this: "Xiangguo is lost, tens of thousands of troops don't know whether they are alive or dead, and Ma Qiu is the lord relies on the humerus, and they are all covered by this dog thief, such a big crime, he still dares to be tough?" Now that I have gathered thousands of pawns, it is better to rush straight to his army and capture the minions of his family's criminal pawns, and after holding this evidence, I will play the main game directly, and then see how this dog thief will end! ”

"No!"

Hearing Shi Min say this, Shi Zun didn't want to wave his hand and refuse, and felt that although Shi Min was brave and commendable, he really thought too simple when it came to power and strategy. Since Zhang Jackal dared to commit such a crime, he naturally had his confidence, and regardless of whether there was an alliance behind him, Zhang Jackal alone was not an opponent that the two of them could challenge.

Zhang Jackal has many subordinates and countless protégés, and even the master can only be wary of beating him, and he does not dare to easily pull it out. Although he committed a serious crime this time, once the news of the loss of Xiangguo spread, I don't know what kind of bad impact it will have on Xindu. At that time, I am afraid that the Lord will be angry with them for ignoring the overall situation, and he will deal with them first and then consider how to punish Zhang Jackal.

However, it is precisely because Shi Min is brave and unstrategic, Shi Zun can control him with confidence, if he is brave on the outside and beautiful on the inside, Shi Zun may not be able to control him with the current Shi Zun.

"There are many thieves and his party, and it is only a good idea to shake it, and you must not act to attract his vigilance. If they let them know that you and I are going to do him badly, I am afraid that we will both die before them. ”

Shi Zun said this not timidly, but very likely. Even if Shi Min grasps the truth of Zhang Jackal's guilt in the outside world, he may not have the opportunity to be sent to the city, and based on Shi Zun's empty confession, Zhang Jackal will naturally not admit his guilt easily.

And if the fall of Xiangguo disturbs the New Year's ceremony, which is a major event that all the ministers in the country are looking forward to, the two of them will also be in the crosshairs of the public. Even if you don't use illegal means, it's really easy for someone who wants to use the topic to kill the two of them.

Shi Zun has not completely gotten rid of the influence of his brother Shi Di's involvement, and Shi Min ran away from Xiangguo, and if he really pursues it, he will also bear part of the responsibility for the fall of Xiangguo, not to mention that he is a defeated general who has lost all his troops.

Hearing Shi Zun's analysis of the pros and cons, Shi Min also realized that his idea was too simple, but he was still full of unwillingness: "Can you just sit and watch the traitor deceive the Lord and make the state affairs even more corrupt?" ”

"Otherwise, although you and I can't make a move, we may not have the means to fight back against Zhang Thief. I am a soft-spoken person and am not put in the eyes of Zhang Thief, but now that the Xindu army is gathered and there are many important ministers, how can Zhang Thief be allowed to cover the heavens alone! Although the two of us can't directly point at the crime of Zhang Thief, they have the power to do it! ”

After seeing Zhang Jackal's indifferent and arrogant attitude towards him, Shi Zun also gave up his plan to continue to seek skin with the tiger, and after returning, he has been thinking about who he can use to achieve his intentions, and now he gradually has an idea: "Youzhou Zhang Ju will arrive in Xindu in the near future." His people returned to the country with a large army, and the order inside and outside the Xindu was already drafted, and all the strong countries stood side by side, which was inevitable. I want to send you to the north to meet you, and give you the handle of this crime, whether you use it or not, in its self-determination, but he will also have a mercy for this help. ”

Shi Min is really not good at this kind of trickery, and when he heard that Shi Zun already had an idea, he simply nodded and agreed, but he hesitated a little and said: "The return of the Youzhou army is a common concern, and if I enter its army, I will inevitably be seen." I'm worried that His Highness is here, and once Zhang Jackal wants to be unfavorable to His Highness, I am afraid that he will have no defense. What's more, there is no shortage of people who know about this matter, and I may not be the only one who can join the army to report it, and Zhang Ju may not be able to ......."

When Shi Zun heard this, he laughed and said, "I am still the main bloodline, how can I be harmed by ordinary people." asked you to go to see Zhang Ju, not to tell Zhang Ju's crimes, but to give him another choice. King Zhang Wu is fierce and arrogant, I expect Zhang Ju and him may not be in love. Zhang Ju has lived in the country for a long time, Zhang Ju has been on the border for many years, once the two strong are split, Zhang Ju will have no time to choose the best choice......"

The lack of strength made Shi Zun only use his strength to climb, and he also thought that there might be some communication between Zhang Jackal and Zhang Ju, but he also had to send Shi Min to befriend Zhang Ju, and the bet was unpredictable.

Now that he is in the current situation and order in the country, it is difficult to get a chance to turn over, and Zhang Ju, a strong vassal who enters the country, is very likely to break the current order in the country, and this is where his opportunity lies.

Although it is rumored that Zhang Ju has a close relationship with Shi Bin, the king of Zhangwu, Shi Bin's personality is arrogant and domineering, and his relationship with Zhang Ju may not be as harmonious as it is rumored outside. Even if they don't have any big disagreements with each other, Shi Zun feels that he is not without advantages compared to Shi Bin, especially in the eyes of a strong minister like Zhang Ju, his younger age is a huge advantage!

Taking a step back, even if the alliance between Zhang Ju and Shi Bin is unbreakable, if there is an opportunity to bet separately, and if he still has the strength to spare, Shi Zun believes that Zhang Ju will not refuse.

Xindu, which is not calm, is even more undercurrent surging under the surface, which makes the cracks in the national situation of the country of Jin, which is already leaking everywhere, even more shocking. It is only because of the common vision and expectation of the New Year's Separation Ceremony that those secret battles have not surfaced.

But according to the situation in the country, being able to maintain the stability on the surface is the outlier in luck, and the occurrence of accidents is the most common.

And the next accident shocked all the forces in Xindu dumbfounded: the Lord Shi Hu stayed in the Longteng military camp on the way to inspect the Sixth Army, but was suddenly assassinated!